Summer is in full swing for local youth at Adventure Camp at Hearty Roots. Nine kids from all over Lincoln County embarked on a recent trip from Osborn Finch to Hog Island, a hardy paddle they completed in one day with full hearts and fully-loaded kayaks. Guided by Adventure Mentors, participants dedicated a morning to learning how to meticulously pack and arrange their necessary items within their sea kayaks before departing for Hog Island with a high tide. The four-hour paddle was epic, and adventurers arrived happy, exhausted, yet ready to explore.

“This was our first crew of the summer to make the maiden voyage this far in Muscongus Bay!” says Haley Bezon, founder and executive director of Hearty Roots. “Nothing beats the sound of waves mixed with cheering and giggling!” Participants pitched tents to stay at Hog Island then Osborn Finch Wildlife Sanctuary in Waldoboro. So, as you’re out spotting loons and other wildlife on our waterways this summer, keep a lookout for the bright kayaks and brighter smiles of Hearty Roots kids as they “get off the grid and into their hearts.”

For more information on Hearty Roots year-round programming for local kids, summer offerings on local preserves, or sponsoring a child’s hearty adventure through scholarship, visit heartyroots.org. Hearty Roots can’t wait to see you in nature, where our journeys overlap.